"It makes it tough to sleep at night," Murphy said on Monday. "I can't get gun-shy because I won't be able to help this team out if I'm gun-shy. [I] have to still continue to carry myself with confidence and just throw the ball, sling it around to guys and let them make plays."

But playing with confidence and reckless abandon on Saturday night at No. 10 South Carolina will not be easy for Murphy or the reeling Gators (4-5, 3-4 SEC).

Murphy's nagging right shoulder sprain, which he suffered Oct. 12 at LSU and re-aggravated with 46 pass attempts and five sacks Saturday, is expected to sideline him until at least Wednesday.

"I need all the practice I can get," he said. "It's just frustrating being banged up a little bit and having to sit out and try to get healthy. I'm just gonna live in the training room and try to get back out there as soon as possible."

Murphy, a little-known back-up when Jeff Driskel broke his leg against Tennessee, was one of the best stories in college football a little more than a month ago when he led Florida to three straight wins.

The 21-year-old now is the face of a hapless, battered, beaten-down Florida squad that has lost four straight games and needs a major upset during the final three weeks to qualify for the postseason.

Coach Will Muschamp's team will have to win at South Carolina or beat No. 2 Florida State on Nov. 30 in the Swamp without yet another starting player.

Muschamp announced Monday middle linebacker and leading tackler Antonio Morrison is out for the remainder of the season due to a torn meniscus.

Morrison becomes the seventh UF starter and 10th overall player to suffer a season-ending injury. A variety of other contributors have missed significant playing time or practice time.

Mike Taylor will replace Morrison in the middle, while freshman Jarrad Davis will replace Taylor at weak outside linebacker.

"I certainly think it has had an effect," Muschamp said of his team's injury woes. "But we've got to find way to get it right."

Muschamp and his staff have no clear starting point.

Due primarily to Murphy's three interceptions and fumble, the Gators' offense was the first of Vanderbilt's six SEC foes to score fewer than 30 points. With Florida trailing 24-10, the defense allowed a 17-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. The Gators also committed 11 penalties for 84 yards.

It was the kind of day that could lead to sleepless nights all around for the Gators.

Muschamp remains undeterred.

"I'm fine," he said. "I'm a football coach. I go to work every day trying to find ways to get this football team better and get them to improve. That's part of your job whether you're 9-1 at this point or you're where we are.

"It's frustrating. It's very frustrating, but you work and people are dependent on you to do a good job. Do a good job for the players and do a good job for the university — that's my job."